Food - Mayonnaise and taramasalata: two things you should always make yourself

There are some concoctions that no self-respecting chef can afford not to have in his or her armoury. I am not talking about finished dishes so much as interesting accompaniments - the kind of things one makes in order to make other things taste better. Usually such items can be bought in shops, but they are, without exception, tastier when made at home. And because their point is to improve the taste of whatever they are accompanying, this has a knock-on effect on your cooking as a whole.

The first and most invaluable of these foods is mayonnaise. Shop-bought mayonnaise is always a let-down and should be banished from your fridge, irrespective of whether it is Hellmann's or some supposedly upmarket variety. But if you are going to make mayonnaise yourself, why not go the whole hog and make it by hand, in a bowl, rather than in a blender or a Magimix? I know this may seem like a shocking waste of time, but I really think the results are superior. Besides, as Elizabeth David pointed out, there is something relaxing - therapeutic even - about standing over a bowl, wooden spoon in hand, watching this wondrous mixture coagulate.

Making mayonnaise is not particularly difficult - it just takes patience. Break an egg yolk or two into a bowl, mix in salt, pepper, lemon juice and a dab of Dijon mustard, then start adding the oil, drop by drop to begin with, stirring all the time. When the mixture thickens and acquires a glossy appearance, you can add the oil more freely. The first few times, you will probably increase the oil supply too early, causing the mixture to split - in which case you have to start again. Whenever the mixture becomes stiff and unyielding, loosen it with lemon juice or hot water. Continue until you have the desired quantity (or you have run out of oil), and adjust the seasoning. It is best, I think, to use a mixture of olive and groundnut oil (which must be of a high quality): just the former, and your mayonnaise will be too peppery; just the latter, and it will be too bland.

Once you have mastered mayonnaise, you can deploy broadly the same technique to make taramasalata, another dish whose commercial incarnation bears no resemblance to the real thing. Buy a packet of smoked cod's roe (good fishmongers stock this), remove the skin and chop finely with a knife. Mix in a good few slices of white bread that you have soaked in milk, some lemon juice, a clove of crushed garlic, and then, as with mayonnaise, slowly start adding oil (again, a mixture of olive and groundnut works best), stirring all the time. Keep going for much longer than you think: a small amount of cod's roe will yield a surprisingly large amount of taramasalata. Served on hot buttered toast, this makes a truly scrumptious canape or starter.

Post your comment

Please note: you will need to login or register before you can comment on the website